Examining the Potential of Blockchain Technology to Meet the Needs of 21st-Century Japanese Health Care: Viewpoint on Use Cases and Policy.

Japan is undergoing a major population health transition as its society ages, and it continues to experience low birth rates. An aging Japan will bring new challenges to its public health system, highlighted as a model for universal health coverage (UHC) around the world. Specific challenges Japan's health care system will face include an increase in national public health expenditures, higher demand for health care services, acute need for elder and long-term care, shortage of health care workers, and disparities between health care access in rural versus urban areas.

The Survey for Determining Knowledge-Related Problems in the Dissemination of ICD-11.

Changes in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) from ICD-10 may significantly impact coding quality. We conducted a field trial in 2017 to evaluate the line coding quality of 19 cases coded using the coding method of the World Health Organization. The cases with low agreement between the accuracy rates of ICD-10 and ICD-11 were cases that required the extension code.

Establishment of New National Rare Disease (Nambyo) Registry and Registry Guidelines in Japan.

A New legal structure for rare disease (nambyo) has been established in Japan this year, after 42 years of measures of nambyo. We have been accumulating registry for nambyo from 2003, however, as it was based on paper registration, quality was not enough. Our new registry system will be based under ISO13606 which is a new medical international standard.

National Registry of Designated Intractable Diseases in Japan: Present Status and Future Prospects.

Japan promotes research related to intractable diseases and financially supports patients with these diseases. Intractable diseases are designated as those that fulfill the following criteria: (1) rarity (affecting less than 0.1% of the population in Japan), (2) unknown etiology, (3) lack of effective treatment, (4) necessity of long-term treatment, and (5) existence of objective diagnostic criteria and not necessarily equal to rare diseases in other countries.

Overexpression of the S100A2 protein as a prognostic marker for patients with stage II and III colorectal cancer.

We aimed to identify a novel prognostic biomarker related to recurrence in stage II and III colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Stage II and III CRC tissue mRNA expression was profiled using an Affymetrix Gene Chip, and copy number profiles of 125 patients were generated using an Affymetrix 250K Sty array. Genes showing both upregulated expression and copy number gains in cases involving recurrence were extracted as candidate biomarkers.

Prediction of prognosis of ALS: Importance of active denervation findings of the cervical-upper limb area and trunk area.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a motor neuron disease characterized by serious muscle atrophy and weakness. The purpose of this study was to find prognostic factors in patients with mild ALS using application forms for the Specified Disease Treatment Research Program in Japan. We classified ALS as mild, moderate and severe.

Prognostic significance of Traf2- and Nck- interacting kinase (TNIK) in colorectal cancer.

Background: The potential of expression profiling using microarray analysis as a tool to predict the prognosis for different types of cancer has been realized. This study aimed to identify a novel biomarker for colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods: The expression profiles of cancer cells in 152 patients with stage I-III CRC were examined using microarray analysis.

[Patient database and orphan drug development].

There is no concept of rare disease (RD) but Nambyo (intractable disease) since 1972. In 1995 the definition of Nambyo included the concept of rareness and the frequency for a Nambyo is less than 50000 in Japanese population. Currently Nambyo are selected for special research support, and special treatment of medical expenses.

Up-regulation of dbpA mRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma associated with metabolic syndrome.

Purpose: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a group of recognized risk factors for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic liver disease. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinicopathological characteristics of HCC patients with MS and the risk factors for recurrence. Also, the aim was to investigate the cold shock protein: DNA-binding protein A (dbpA) expression in HCC patients with MS.

Identification of pathogenesis-related microRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma by expression profiling.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors of the liver. Since postoperative recurrence and intrahepatic metastases occur frequently, the postoperative 5-year survival rate is low. To investigate the molecular mechanisms of HCC progression, mRNA as well as microRNA (miRNA) expression levels have been profiled in various studies.

Identification of NUCKS1 as a colorectal cancer prognostic marker through integrated expression and copy number analysis.

We identified a novel prognostic biomarker for the distant metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) using comprehensive combined copy number and gene expression analyses. Expression of mRNA in CRC tissue was profiled in 115 patients using an Affymetrix Gene Chip, and copy number profiles were generated for 122 patients using an Affymetrix 250K Sty array. Genes showing both upregulated expression and copy number gains in cases involving distant CRC metastasis were extracted as candidate biomarkers.

Upregulation of protein tyrosine phosphatase type IVA member 3 (PTP4A3/PRL-3) is associated with tumor differentiation and a poor prognosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Protein tyrosine phosphatase type IVA member 3 (PTP4A3/PRL-3), a metastasis-associated phosphatase, plays multiple roles in cancer metastasis. We investigated PTP4A3/PRL-3 expression and its correlation with the clinicopathological features and prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Gene expression profiles of PTP4A3/PRL-3 were obtained in poorly differentiated HCC tissues.

Villin 1 is a predictive factor for the recurrence of high serum alpha-fetoprotein-associated hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatectomy.

The prognostic assessment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after resection is an important clinical issue. The present study investigated those genes associated with high serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and their clinical significance, including prognosis and recurrence after hepatectomy. Based on gene expression analysis of 110 training HCC cases, 20 genes whose mRNA expression levels were significantly upregulated and 50 genes that were downregulated correlated with high serum AFP-associated HCC patients.

Screening for epigenetically masked genes in colorectal cancer Using 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine, microarray and gene expression profile.

Aim: Unearthing of silenced genes in colorectal cancer (CRC).

Materials And Methods: Oligonucleotide microarray was used in order to find changes in gene expression in five CRC cell lines before and after 5-aza-2'-Deoxycitidine treatment. Up-regulated genes were integrated with expression profile of matched colorectal tissue samples.

Genome-wide integrative analysis revealed a correlation between lengths of copy number segments and corresponding gene expression profile.

Microarray analysis has been applied to comprehensively reveal the abnormalities of DNA copy number (CN) and gene expression in human cancer research during the last decade. These analyses have individually contributed to identify the genes associated with carcinogenesis, progression, metastasis of tumor cells and poor prognosis of cancer patients. However, it is known that the correlation between profiles of CN and gene expression does not highly correlate.

Loss of NKX3-1 as a potential marker for an increased risk of occult lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

The prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is significantly dependent on the existence of cervical lymph node metastasis (LNM), with the overall survival rate being much lower in patients with LNM. Primary causes and molecular mechanisms of LNM are still largely unclear. We hypothesized that factors related with cancer progress and/or prognosis in OSCC are revealed by genome-wide investigation of DNA copy number aberrations (CNAs).

DNA binding protein A expression and methylation status in hepatocellular carcinoma and the adjacent tissue.

We investigated the expression and promoter methylation of dbpA in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and examined their correlation with clinicopathological features. In 96 paired samples of HCC and adjacent non-tumorous liver, and 10 normal liver specimens, dbpA mRNA was quantified by real-time RT-PCR, and promoter methylation was examined by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction and bisulfite sequencing. The results showed that dbpA mRNA expression levels were higher in HCC compared to corresponding non-tumor tissues (P<0.

Clinical significance of UNC5B expression in colorectal cancer.

The purpose of this study was to find a methylation-related gene that could become a biomarker or therapeutic target in colorectal carcinoma (CRC). We screened candidate genes suspected to be silenced by DNA methylation using cDNA microarray analysis. To investigate the clinical significance of one candidate gene (UNC5B), we analyzed the correlation between mRNA expression and clinicopathological features using clinical tissue samples.

Global expression study in colorectal cancer on proteins with alkaline isoelectric point by two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis.

Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. To identify candidates for biomarkers and therapeutic targets, we investigated the proteome of colorectal cancer tissues. Using 2D-DIGE in combination with our original large format electrophoresis apparatus, we compared surgically resected normal and tumor tissues from 53 patients with colorectal cancer.

Clinical significance of osteoprotegerin expression in human colorectal cancer.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify a novel biomarker or a target of treatment for colorectal cancer (CRC).

Experimental Design: The expression profiles of cancer cells in 104 patients with CRC were examined using laser microdissection and oligonucleotide microarray analysis. Overexpression in CRC cells, especially in patients with distant metastases, was a prerequisite to select candidate genes.

iCOD: an integrated clinical omics database based on the systems-pathology view of disease.

Background: Variety of information relating between genome and the pathological findings in disease will yield a wealth of clues to discover new function, the role of genes and pathways, and future medicine. In addition to molecular information such as gene expression and genome copy number, detailed clinical information is essential for such systematic omics analysis.

Results: In order to provide a basic platform to realize a future medicine based on the integration of molecular and clinico-pathological information of disease, we have developed an integrated clinical omics database (iCOD) in which comprehensive disease information of the patients is collected, including not only molecular omics data such as CGH (Comparative Genomic Hybridization) and gene expression profiles but also comprehensive clinical information such as clinical manifestations, medical images (CT, X-ray, ultrasounds, etc), laboratory tests, drug histories, pathological findings and even life-style/environmental information.

Up-regulation of PSF1 promotes the growth of breast cancer cells.

PSF1 is a subunit of the GINS complex that functions along with the MCM2-7 complex and Cdc45 in eukaryotic DNA replication. Although mammalian PSF1 is predominantly expressed in highly proliferating cells and organs, little is known about the roles of PSF1 in mature cells or cancer cells. We found that PSF1 was expressed at relatively high levels in breast tumor cells, but at low levels in normal breast cells.

Methylated BNIP3 gene in colorectal cancer prognosis.

The DNA methylation of apoptosis-related genes in various cancers contributes to the disruption of the apoptotic pathway and results in resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. Irinotecan (CPT-11) is one of the key chemotherapy drugs used to treat metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). However, a number of metastatic CRC patients do not benefit from this drug.

Clinical omics analysis of colorectal cancer incorporating copy number aberrations and gene expression data.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most frequently occurring cancers in Japan, and thus a wide range of methods have been deployed to study the molecular mechanisms of CRC. In this study, we performed a comprehensive analysis of CRC, incorporating copy number aberration (CRC) and gene expression data. For the last four years, we have been collecting data from CRC cases and organizing the information as an "omics" study by integrating many kinds of analysis into a single comprehensive investigation.

MUC12 mRNA expression is an independent marker of prognosis in stage II and stage III colorectal cancer.

Distant metastasis is the major cause of death in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. To identify genes influencing the prognosis of patients with CRC, we compared gene expression in primary tumors with and without distant metastasis using an oligonucleotide microarray. We also examined the expression of the candidate gene in 100 CRC patients by quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR and studied the relationship between its expression and the prognosis of patients with CRC.